OCR Text |
Show Instructions were issued to General Terry that if the hostiles should reach the park and cross into the Big Horn country, on the passes of the Stinkingwater, ColonelMiles should be ordered to attack them. The Indians made an attack npon General Howard at Camp Meadow, near Lake Henry, capturing some one hundred horses, one.third of which were, however, retaken after the battle, in which General Howard lost one man killed and seven wounded. On the 27th of August, the Nez Perc6s crossed the Yellowstone above the falls, at the upper end of a cafion in the National Park, on their way to Wind River. Colonel Sturgis nas directed to leave the Crow agency for the Clark River Valley to capture the Sea PercBs. On the 13th of September he had a battle with them on Cafion Creek, Clark's Fork, near the Yellow-stone, in which but few men were killed and wounded, but the Indians lost heavily in men and ponies. The Indians were evidently making for the Judith Mountain, with Sturgis and Sanford in pursuit, followed by General Howard. They crossed the Missouri River at Cow Island on the 23d September, and entered the pass between Bear's Paw and the Little Rocky Mountains on the 28th, carrying many wounded, On the route from the Yellowstone to the Missouri River, the Nez Perc4s en-couutered the Crow scours, who untie ;I aud~lrue hirpc npon them, cap. turing large ilumbers, of their pollies 1111tI I I I U ~ ~ S11,8 ~ r l als killiug and n-oundin~m nnv of t l ~ ~mleru . Gener~IJ lilcs. who had heru onlered to inlerc*ep{ did not strike rl11:ir trail till thcy had crouaed the 3lissouri. AH tlla lloutile Nelr Perehs wereeonlillgout of tll*! 1jrdl"s I'BW ~tolllltain~, on the 3d of October, (:eueral 3lilen 111orod hi^ rou~l laa~r~adp i d l~to Snake Creek, met, aud surpri~edth eir ealllp at eight o'clock iu tile morn-iug, eaptoriug about 8ix hu~~t l r rhdo rses, mules, all11 pouiea. This en-gagemrut W;IS the severest blow tho Intlino~h ad j e t rercived. Reside8 the loas of their horses, they lost sevruteeu killtvJ, includiug 1.ooki11p tilast? and Joseph's brother and three other el~iefda, nd fort). wounded. After this da\'a I~attloJ osenh resorted to dir,lo~~~uca\n.d. rave Ilia sol. emu pledge &at he would &render, but did not do; so, evibently wait-ing for aid from other Indians. This failing him, and General Miles renewine the attack the next day. he was co6uelled to end the lone and severe sEruggle on the 5th of 0c"tober by an u;~conditional snrrenzer of all his forces. Upon the capture of Joseph and his Indians, the first question that arises is, L' What shall be done with them P Humanity prompts us to send them back and place them on the Nez Per& reservation, as Joseph and his followers have shown themselves to he brave men and skillful soldicrd, who, with oue aaception, have observed the rules of civilized aarf:ire, and have r~otn ~uriluw(tlh eir dead enemies. Thero is. ho!vr.e\fer. au insol~rrable ilitiicultv ill the wav. owine to tho fact that i t the beFi~luiogo f'tl~co utbnvak of ~ I I C S C Z ~e rG8w a r , i m e ~ ~ t ~ one whites ill the imme~liarev iviuity of Josrph's houa were murdered iu cold blood by the Iudinus, and six white women were outragcd. Jse. cause 01' tllese crimes, there would he no peace nor safety for Joseph sud his lndiaus on their 0111 reservation, or iu its vicinity, as the friends and relativesof the victimswould wage an nnrelentine. wiinuon the offenders. I But for thelie foul crimes the88 Iudinns would 1; seut back to the reser-vation in Idaho. Now, however, they will have to hcsent to the Indian Tr l~i tory;a nd t h i ~wi ll bo no hardship to them, a8 the difference in the temperature betweeu thac latitude and their old ho~uics inconsidrralrlc. 1 The gallant achievcmcnt of tirueral Jliles in 1110 capture of tl~eaeI n. dinns ~ I : I Y had a decided :~ud bnlletieial influonce ou other hostile tribes. I It is mainly owing to this influence that the Sioux have quietly assented to the removal they before refused to make. |